Top 5 - Scott Slonaker
1) Radiohead, OK Computer (Capitol). Running wild with the ideas toyed with on The Bends, Radiohead fashioned a (semi-) concept album far more futuristic than a whole hard drive full of techno. Aggressive, harsh, bleak, mechanical, and pessimistic, but somehow also languid, relaxed, pastoral, organic, and hopeful, OK Computer outdistanced the field by several lengths.
2) Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape (Roswell/Capitol). To quote CMJ New Music Monthly, "At a time when we needed it, this is a moment to keep believing in rock." Expanding Dave Grohl's post-Nirvana project to a full-band effort, The Colour and the Shape expertly pummels the ears with implements of imposition such as the torrid "Monkey Wrench", the now-classic dynamics of "Wind Up", and the industrial-strength Fab Four-isms of "Hey, Johnny Park!" Best of all, this record should finally end the relentless and annoying Nirvana comparisons that have plagued the band from the start.
3) Guided By Voices, Mag Earwhig (Capitol/Matador). Lo-fi British Invasion-esque pop auteur Robert Pollard heads in the opposite direction from both labels. Enlisting the able backing of Cleveland's Cobra Verde, Pollard sheds the Beatles basement-tapes vibe for chunky rock 'n roll (classic in the best sense of the word) while still retaining the whimsical and idiosyncratic lyrical matter. Interspersed throughout the record are occasional sonic reminders of the band's Luddite past, which is a nice touch. "I Am A Tree" is the usually-concise GBV's five-minute epic, and "Bulldog Skin" should have been an up-from-the-underground radio hit.
4) Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen (550 Music). Rocking the 88s like few others in this decade can, Ben Folds and his crack rhythm section made their major-label debut a dandy. As aggressive at times as any punk band (see "Song for the Dumped" as example numero uno), the Five (actually three) also have quite the Eltonesque touch for power balladry ("Brick"). In between, Folds dabbles in everything from Bee Gees harmonies ("Fair") to cutting, quirky pop with the attitude and bite of Elvis Costello ("Battle of Who Could Care Less"). Like all great talents, Folds simultaneously keeps his roots in the past while reshaping the present. Whatever and Ever Amen is a treat.
5) Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing (Arista). A reliable oasis from the ever-growing army of pissy, angst-ridden bleaters and cloying, precious folkies, Sarah McLachlan's fourth album manages to display both strength and grace. While it isn't exactly a grand departure from her previous effort, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, songs such as the pulsating "Sweet Surrender", the gorgeous "Adia", and the solemn "Do What You Have to Do" more than compensate. The incredible achievement of the Lilith Fair aside, Surfacing cements McLachlan's position among the paragons of not just women in music, but music, period.
